INTRODUCTION
Total Access (UK) Limited specialises in working safely at height and in confined
spaces. Established in 1992, we have built our business on a reputation for expert
technical advice and an ability to provide our customers with solutions whatever
their problem.
We strive to remain at the forefront of our business by listening emphatically to
our customers and what they require of us and developing our people and our
Centre to meet these needs and ensure we deliver an all round quality service.
Our Managed Services Division has grown out of a need from several major clients
and brings together the expertise from our Equipment and Training Divisions to
provide a turnkey solution for managing employees working at height – ensuring
they are competent and the equipment they are using is always in compliance with
legislative requirements.
• Cost Saving on in-house staff resource • Fixed prices for term of contract • Assured compliance
• Technical advisory resource
• Notification on product recalls, expiry of all training certificates, medicals and inspections of all your assets
• Delivery/ Collection service
• Routine inspections on site or at convenient locations • Repair/ Servicing of PPE where possible
• Allocate PPE to Wearer and location, as required • Online access to tracking available 24/7
• Sanctioned kit—Paid stock can be held of equipment at Total Access • Monthly reports on services provided (KPI’s)
• Management reports to monitor loss/damaged goods, projected spend, equipment inventory, etc • Regular contract review meetings
• Dedicated Service Co-ordinators for each customer
Managing your employees training, medicals, equipment & lifting
accessories inspections, Portable Appliance testing can be time
consuming and costly and often gets overlooked during busy times.
Here at Total Access we offer to take care of all this for you including
all the relevant certification giving you peace of mind that your
employees/equipment are working safely and are fully compliant
with legislation.
Benefits
We can carry out the formal examinations at either our premises, your premises
or we have the facility to carry out these examinations in an office based
environment throughout the UK.
The inspections would be planned by ourselves with dates sent to you for
prior approval.
The frequency of the examinations is down to your requirements as our
customer.
However for Lifting Accessories formal recorded examinations are required
every 6 months to comply with LOLER 1998 Regulations. PEWER states that the
recommended periodic examinations shall be at least every 12 months.
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All our Inspectors have to go through rigorous training. Not only are they trained to
inspect the equipment but also how to use the equipment. They carry cards stating
they have passed their Fall Protection Inspector course. They have all attended
external courses to inspect Lifting accessories and to carry out portable appliance
testing
We ensure that every item has a unique code so that it can be asset tracked.
We can help with the items required within a kit to meet your requirements
and ensure that this kit then becomes your sanctioned kit.
Personal Protective Equipment Inspections
Are they just making an inventory or are they conducting a thorough inspection as
re-quired below?
Have you checked they are qualified to inspect the equipment?
Do they provide certification that the equipment is fit for purpose?
Have they checked that it has not expired the manufacturer’s recommended in use life ?
Do you currently use an Insurance Company to carry out an annual audit/
inventory on your assets
Here are examples of the examination reports that we produce
Example of report for a single piece of equipment
Portable Appliance Testing
Whilst having your PPE examined we can also test your electrical
items reducing your downtime.
We can assign the electrical items to an individual or to specific
departments within your company.
Above is an example of the report that we can produce for portable appliance
All the portable appliance testing that we carry out is in accordance with IET
code of practice (3rd ED)
Training
We work with you to develop your Working at Height Policy and ensure that it complies
with all legislative requirements.
We offer in-house courses & can design courses around your requirements to ensure your
employees are trained to work safely and in compliance with your Policy.
We are also a City & Guilds and IRATA approved Training Centre.
Our training courses can be held at our site in Eccleshall or at your premises.
When taking this service we will inform you of training expiry months in advance so that
the training can be scheduled with your work load to minimise disruption. This service
gives you preferential dates and discounted rates for you training. On completion of the
training (and payment received), a plastic credit card size Competency Card will be issued
as evidence that they have successfully passed the course and their expiry date for that
course. These cards also have the picture of the person so act as an identity card.
All training certificates and course outlines are available to view via our secure
log in on to our website.
A pre-employment, pre-placement and periodic medical must be undertaken on workers who are due to or work at heights and those who access/climb to heights. A review of this assessment should be made following significant sickness absence.
Periodic health assessments should be undertaken at agreed time scales; currently these are as follows: -
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Age < 40 years - three yearly•
Age 41- 50 years - two yearly•
Age > 50 years—AnnuallyThere are obvious hazards associated with work involving climbing structures and working at heights namely falling from a height. There are general principles that are borne in mind when assessing fitness for working at heights/ access to heights:
• Existing medical conditions may be aggravated by heights (e.g. neurological conditions resulting in dizziness.)
• The effect of inclement weather
• The effect of medication
The assessment of fitness includes the Chester Step Test, which assesses aerobic capacity.
An inadequate result (i.e. ‘Poor’) will indicate that they are currently unable to perform any climbing, or working at heights activities.
They should be retested at three months. If on review they do not meet the required standard they will need to be referred back to their manager and possible referral to a physician.
Vision - Distance vision needs to be at least 6/12 in both eyes - aided or unaided. If this is less, then the individual is referred to an optician. Peripheral vision is also assessed
If anyone is visually impaired (such as sight in only one eye) or has peripheral vision problems, as long as they had adjusted to dealing with this then they would not fail.
Pulse - This is assessed as an irregular, or rapid pulse may indicate an underlying condition. If a problem is suspected, then a referral is made to a physician.
Blood pressure - Individuals with raised blood pressures are referred to their physician for further assessment. Height/Weight - BMI (body mass index) are checked. Obesity can indicate poor levels of fitness and in conjunction with their Chester Step Test results, could constitute a fail.
Skin is checked - No real reason to fail someone, unless the skin disorder was so bad on there hands they were not able to grip. This could constitute a fail for climbers.
Spirometry is performed - Anyone with moderate/severe debilitating airway disease could be excluded.
Musculoskeletal - Assessment examines if an individual has good mobility, power and strength. Where there are significant impairments to these, this could constitute a fail
Urinalysis - Is done to ensure there are no signs of undiagnosed diabetes. The presence of diabetes does not constitute a fail in itself, but individuals require close monitoring.
The purpose of the occupational health professional is to advise on fitness to work.
The final decision to employ or remove an individual from working at heights / access to height lies with the employers through consultation from Total Access.
Through the assessment process, it is often necessary to refer any identified problems to other health professionals – physicians, opticians etc – who can advise on specific conditions in relation to fitness for working at heights / climbing.
Secure Login
You can view all your records via secure login via our website
Step 2: Records are accessed with the provided Username & Password Step 1: Click on “Client login”
Step 3: Search via any of the following or view any reports
Step 4: To view record click on magnifying glass
Secure Login
Step 5: Here you can view delegates:
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Contact details
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Medical Certificate and expiry dates
•Training Certificates and expiry dates
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PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Reports and expiry date
•Portable appliance report and expiry date
Stock Management
We have a purpose built unit where we can carry out the inspections & hold
your paid stock for re issue should any items fail the examination.
The stock is controlled for you by us and you would be issued a report on a
Legislation
European Union Legislation requires employers to safeguard the health and
safety of their employees at work. In the UK, this is enshrined in the Health
and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. In simple terms, an employer has a
responsibility not only to supply employees with PPE which meets all the
necessary performance requirements, but also to have in place systems
which ensure that the personal protection equipment is regularly monitored,
inspected and maintained, ensuring that it is fit for purpose throughout the
equipment’s life.
What BS8437:2005 says:
13.1 General
13.1.1 It is essential that all load bearing equipment is given a visual and tactile inspection
before each use to ensure that it is in a safe condition and operates correctly. Advice should
be obtained from the manufacturer on how to do this, and this advice should be strictly
fol-lowed.
13.1.2 Formal Inspection procedures should be put in place by employers to ensure that
personal fall protection equipment is given a detailed inspection (“thorough examination”) by
a competent person before first use and at intervals not exceeding six months (or three
months where the equipment is used in arduous conditions), and after circumstances liable to
jeopardise safety have occurred.
13.1.3 It is essential that the person carrying out a thorough examination is sufficiently
independent and impartial to allow objective decisions to be made, i.e. they have appropriate
and genuine authority to discard equipment. This does not mean that competent persons
necessarily have to be employed from an external company.
Our centre is situated in Eccleshall, Stafford, where we have fully trained staff and all the
facilities that are required for your training and equipment requirements. As we are an
independent equipment supplier we can offer you many alternatives depending upon your
requirements.
The service we ensure compliance with PPE at Work Regulations 1992, and
BS8437:2005. We also follow all the equipment manufacturer’s
recommendations.
Employers have an obligation under both European and UK employment law to safeguard the health and Safety of Employees. In the UK the requirements are set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This is clearly a major consideration for those employees working at height or in Confined Spaces. Total Access’s managed care programme is designed to allow the employer to focus on their core business rather than use limited resources to set up facilities to undertake these in-house. It has the additional benefits that come with relying on the resources of a supplier whose technical expertise and test facilities will ensure that the original performance specifications are maintained and the PPE retains its Physical integrity to ensure wearer safety.
You can select any of the options below.
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Training Records
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Working at height Medicals
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PPE Inspections
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Portable appliance testing
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